Display Device, Method for Correcting Luminance Degradation, and Electronic Apparatus

1. A display device comprising: a plurality of display pixels configured to collectively display an image; a plurality of reference pixels comprising first reference pixels and second reference pixels, wherein the plurality of reference pixels do not contribute to display of the image and each of the plurality of reference pixels is configured to emit light having luminance based on an input signal voltage; a control unit configured to drive the plurality of reference pixels and to: drive the first reference pixels to emit light such that a cumulative duration of light emission for the first reference pixels substantially corresponds to a cumulative duration of light emission for the plurality of display pixels, drive the second reference pixels to emit light infrequently such that the second reference pixels approximate new pixels without current degradation; perform luminance degradation detection by: driving the first reference pixels to emit light by applying thereto respective predetermined input signal voltages, detecting luminances of light emitted by the first reference pixels, driving the second reference pixels to emit light by applying thereto respective predetermined input signal voltages, and detecting luminances of light emitted by the second reference pixels; and a correcting unit configured to correct luminance degradation of display pixels on the basis of a detection result of luminance degradation detection, wherein detected luminances of light emitted by the second reference pixels during luminance degradation detection are used as a reference for approximating an initial state of the display pixels.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to drive the first reference pixels to emit light by applying thereto respective predetermined input signal voltages whenever the plurality of display pixels are driven to emit light.

3. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to drive the second reference pixels to emit light only when performing luminance degradation detection.

4. The display device according to claim 1 , wherein the first reference pixels are arranged in a first reference pixel section and the second reference pixels are arranged in a second reference pixel section, the first reference pixel section and the second reference pixel section being adjacent to each other in a peripheral portion of a display section in which the display pixels are arranged.

5. The display device according to claim 4 , wherein both the first reference pixel section and the second reference pixel section are arranged on both sides of the display section.

6. The display device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a first luminance sensor configured to detect luminance degradation of the first reference pixel section; and a second luminance sensor configured to detect luminance degradation of the second reference pixel section.

7. The display device according to claim 6 , wherein the first luminance sensor and the second luminance sensor are surrounded respective light-shielding plates.

8. The display device according to claim 4 , wherein the first reference pixel section includes a plurality of first reference pixel subsections, and wherein, for each of the plurality of first reference pixel subsections, a same predetermined input signal voltage is applied to each of the first reference pixels included in a same one of the plurality of first reference pixel subsections when they are driven to emit light, and the predetermined input signal voltages are different between at least some of the plurality of first reference pixel subsections.

9. The display device according to claim 8 , wherein the second reference pixel section includes a plurality of second reference pixel subsections, and wherein, for each of the plurality of second reference pixel subsections, a same predetermined input signal voltage is applied to each of the second reference pixels included in a same one of the plurality of second reference pixel subsections when they are driven to emit light, and the predetermined input signal voltages are different between at least some of the plurality of second reference pixel subsections.

10. The display device according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of first reference pixel subsections are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of second reference pixel subsections forming pairs of subsections that each include one of the plurality of first reference pixel subsections and a corresponding one of the plurality of second reference pixel subsections, and wherein, for each of the pairs of subsections, a same predetermined input signal voltage is applied to the first and second reference pixels included in a same pair of subsections.

11. The display device according to claim 9 , wherein the predetermined input signal voltages are different between each of the plurality of first reference pixel subsections, and wherein the predetermined input signal voltages are different between each of the plurality of first reference pixel subsections.

12. The display device according to claim 9 , wherein the first reference pixel section and the second reference pixel section are arranged in sets of first and second reference pixel subsections, wherein each set of the first and second reference pixel subsections includes a single corresponding second reference pixel subsection, and wherein each set of the first and second reference pixel subsections includes a plurality of first reference pixel subsections that are arranged around the corresponding single second reference pixel subsection.

13. The display device according to claim 9 , further comprising: a plurality of first luminance sensors corresponding respectively to the plurality of first reference pixel subsections and each configured to detect luminance degradation of the one of the plurality of first reference pixel sections corresponding thereto; and a plurality of second luminance sensors corresponding respectively to the plurality of second reference pixel subsections and each configured to detect luminance degradation of the one of the plurality of second reference pixel sections corresponding thereto.

14. The display device according to claim 10 , wherein both the first reference pixel section and the second reference pixel section are arranged on two sides of the display section, wherein each pair of subsections on one of said two sides of the display sections corresponds to a pair of subsections on the other of said two sides of the display section, and wherein a same predetermined input signal voltage is applied to the first and second reference pixels included in corresponding pairs of subsections.

15. The display device according to claim 12 , wherein sets of first and second reference pixel subsections are arranged on two sides of the display section.

16. The display device according to claim 13 , wherein the first luminance sensor and the second luminance sensor are surrounded respective light-shielding plates.

17. A method of correcting degradation of pixels, comprising: driving first reference pixels, which do not contribute to display of images displayed by display pixels, to emit light such that a cumulative duration of light emission for the first reference pixels substantially corresponds to a cumulative duration of light emission for the plurality of display pixels; driving second reference pixels, which do not contribute to display of images displayed by the display pixels, to emit light infrequently such that the second reference pixels approximate new pixels; performing luminance degradation detection by: driving the first reference pixels to emit light by applying thereto respective predetermined input signal voltages, detecting luminances of light emitted by the first reference pixels, driving the second reference pixels to emit light by applying thereto respective predetermined input signal voltages, and detecting luminances of light emitted by the second reference pixels, correcting luminance degradation of display pixels on the basis of a detection result of luminance degradation detection, wherein detected luminances of light emitted by the second reference pixels are used as a reference for approximating an initial state of the display pixels.

18. The display device of claim 17 , further comprising: driving the first reference pixels to emit light by applying thereto respective predetermined input signal voltages whenever the plurality of display pixels are driven to emit light.

19. The display device of claim 17 , further comprising: driving the second reference pixels to emit light only when performing luminance degradation detection.